As a Shadow
by 4myd4dw33b
Summary: Esme is a saleslady who thinks that technology beats alchemy, and that alchemy is unrealistic, but uses it for making money. What will happen when she meets the Elric brothers and a series of troubles come up to challenge her.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction, please correct me if I put anything wrong into it :)

Desclaimer: I DO NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist, or Hagane no Renkinjutsushi. I only own Esme and her inventions.

As a Shadow

chapter 1

It is a sunny day. After a "hard day's" work, Ed and Al lied down on the soft grassy field along a river. Ed relaxed with the breeze softly hitting his face, and Al playing with the little fish in the river. Then Ed decided to try something new, fishing.

"Al," Ed said grumpily, "stop playing with the fish, you're scaring them away."

"But brother..." Al replied innocently, "it's better than catching the fish with a hook, have you ever thought about how the fish's feeling when their mouth get caught with the hook."

"Well, as long as..." Ed was going to retort, but a rumble in the bush took their attention. "Who's there?" Ed called, standing in fighting position. After another series of rumble, a shadow of a person emerged from the bushes. It's a girl, about the same age with Ed, her short brown hair sticking in every direction with a few leaves stuck in them. She wore a white t-shirt and a pair of loose jeans, on her right hand she held a seemingly empty bag, and on her back she carried a big yellow flag with red letters that said "Handy Handy Tools".

"Oh! I think I'm lost!" the girl smiled at Ed and Al, she fix her hair and took off the leaves. Ed stared at the girl.

"Brother, you shouldn't stare at a girl like that."

"Good thing I met you guys, I thought I'll never find my way out." the girl kept smiling.

"Are you lost, miss?" Al asked kindly, "it's dangerous out here, you shouldn't be wandering alone."

"Yeah, I've been walking for three days and two nights, but I still don't know which way I should go!" the girl said as if she was very scared, but her face didn't show any trace of fear.

"Don't worry miss, we'll help you get to wherever you want to go!"

"Hey, who said we will help her? I don't remember agreeing to this. I don't care even if you starve to death." Ed said.

"Brother, we should help out people who are in need!"

Ed shrugged, "we can care less about strangers!" he put his hands on the back of his head.

The girl's eyes followed the movement of his arm and murmured, "automail? So you're really the Fullmetal Alchemist..."

"How does she know you have automail limbs?" Al had a big anime question mark on his head, "and she knows you're the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

"She might know some mehcanics, or maybe she's a mechanic herself. she could be some person working in the military... or she could be..." Ed stopped.

"A SPY-------!" Al gasped, and covered his mouth.

"Shhh... don't be so loud!"

"Is she with the homunculus?"

"Don't know," Ed said, "we should study her for a little while, and she looks like a pretty weak girl, we can catch her and ask her some questions..."

Al nodded.

"Or maybe she's actually pretty strong, but she's hiding it." Ed continued analizing.

"You guys don't have to worry I'm only a merchant!" the smiled.

"Merchant?" Ed and Al asked at the same time.

"Look at my flag, anyone can tell I'm a merchant"

"But, not an ordinary merchant, right?" Ed crossed his arms in front of his chest, studying the girl.

"Hm?" the girl smiled.

"Tell us what you're up to!" the girl rolled her eyes, "I'm not a spy or anything, I just like to sell things and talk business with famous people 'cause they have more money! I'm the famous inventer slash merchant, Esme."

"Inventer?"

"You see, I don't approve of alchemy. I think technology is more realistic, and more convenience for people. We don't need some stupid alchemy to make our lives better, besides," Esme smirked, "you make lots of money out of it. Although I do make some things that consists of alchemy, or else some people just won't by it. I hated alchemy, but without it I can't sell my stuff to famous alchmists, right? Like that Flame Alchmist... was it Roy Mustang? Yeah, I made those gloves for him."

Ed's jaws dropped open when he heard the name Roy Mustang.

"If a great alchemist like himself has to go around drawing circles while he fights, it's kind of pathetic isn't it? So I offered him my invention of the gloves, and he gladly used it. By the way, he paid with a good price." Esme smiled, "since we are so lucky to meet each other, I'll let you try some of my products for free" Esme opened the bag and pulled out a moon-shaped object about the size of a human's palm.

"What's..."

"Strengthmeter! It measures how strong an alchemist is, the higher the arrow goes the stronger the alchemist is."

Ed took the strengthmeter, and the arrow slowly moved up. "Feels like I'm the battery or something."

"That's correct!" Esme clapped happily, "the strengthmeter absorbs your energy so the arrow would move up!" Ed looked at it a little more, "okay" he threw it back to Esme. Esme frowned, "It's not done yet."

"Brother, I wanna see strong you are." Al sounded disappointed.

"Stuuuuupid! Who would show how strong they are to a stranger!"

"Oh yeah!" Al said, but Esme shook her head, "Mr. Elric, you're making sound very untrustworthy, I always keep secrets for my customers and guarantees my product. Plus, if I don't know how strong you are, I can't invent the best tool for you!"

"When did I say I was going to buy something from you?" Ed said, "besides, I can do alchemy without a circle." then Ed remembered something about the strengthmeter, "that strengthmeter printed some number, I think it was '2', was there a number 1 before this one?"

Surprised by Ed, Esme blinked, but then smiled, "yes, there was a number 1 before this one, but it exploded when this certain person tried it." Esme then put on a big smile, "well, if you're not interested in this one, then I guess you could try something else!" she put her hand in her bag, moveing it around to search for the one. The bag looked empty, like it didn't have anything in there.

"You invented this too?"

Esme said as she searched, "Digi-space Bag, I could put as much things as I want into this man-made digital world, and it's as light as an empty bag. How do you think I'll survive carrying this much stuff?" Esme's face brightened, "take a look at this, I put it together!" she took a strand of necklace-like thing.

"You're not telling me to wear this!" Ed said with disgust. He looked at it, it had four colors--- red, blue, green, white. All four colors looked bright and clear, it looked very cute, but from any direction, it still looked like an object of a girl's possesion.

"What's these words for?" Ed asked. Each colored stone had small words on them. Lead, Breathe, Transport, and Lock.

"Blue, breathe, you can live 15 minutes without breathing. Green, transport, you can move to any place in a second, but I couldn't make it let you choose the place you want. White, lock, you can lock away your opponent's power for a few minutes. Red, lead, you can lead other people's attack another direction so it won't hit your direction." Esme explained.

"How can it be so small if it has so many effects?" Ed asked suspiciously, "It must have some disadvantages, it can't be so perfect!" Esme rolled her eyes, "I've only heard of merchants who sompliment their product, never insult their product."

"Che! That's why I don't trust you people!"

"But they do have the effects of everything I said." Esme said.

"Fine, how do you use it?"

"Mr. Elric, you must know the common sense about paying first before you use it." Esme reminded. Ed shook his head, "I only know about protecting the rights of the customers and the customer's knowledge about the product. If you can't even demo for us, does that mean your product have some side effects?"

"...fine, I'll show you." Esme said and put the necklace on Ed.

"Hey! You're supposed to put it on yourself!"

"Hmph! If I used it myself, you'll say that I already used it! I'll use the blue one on you!"

Esme took Ed's normal hand and put it on the blue one, "give me your other hand!"

"Wait..." Ed felt that something is not right.

"Like this!" Esme pushed the other stones.

Ed wanted to grab Esme, but he missed. Esme already disappeared, and he couldn't feel his body.

After 15 minutes, "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Brother, she took your automail arm!" Al gasped.

"I knew she was up to something!" Ed gritted his teeth.

"What about your arm?"

"... I think we'll meet her again, but Winry can take care of my arm."

"Brother, what kind of person is Esme? She makes me confused." Al asked. Ed looked at the necklace that was still around his neck, "I want to take this to Winry, maybe she'll find something out about it."

For a little while, no one spoke between Ed and Al.

"... I have a feeling," Ed looked up into the sky, "that there will be a storm coming..."

TBC

Please r&r :)


	2. Chapter 2

My story feels a little plain... I really can't write any funny stuff --...

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist, I only own Esme and her inventions.

As a Shadow

chapter 2

In a corner of the woods, there is a white clothed young girl, brown short hair, with a bag and a yellow flag. The red words "Handy Handy Tools" looked bright under the sun. The girl kept panting, her face showed how tired she is, "Man! Stupid alchemy... still takes too much strength!" she stared at the broken green stone, "looks like it's still not good enough, and I thought it was better than the last one."

The girl dropped the heavy automail arm on the grassy ground, "so tired..." then her body dropped down, "I need some rest..." the girl closed her eyes, and fell fast asleep against the tree stem. Other than the birds singing, it was very quiet.

Meanwhile, Ed and Al were back with the military, and met Hughes coming up.

"Hey Ed, hey Al" he said.

"Where're you going?" Ed asked.

"I'm going to Roy's office, you coming?"

"Nah..." Ed replied very fast as if he didn't even think about it. Hughes laughed and noticed some change on Ed, "hey Ed, since when did you start wearing Jewery?"

Ed blushed, "I was forced to by an insane woman on the street!" he lied, "I just don't get how girls like these things? What so good about wearing a bunch of stones?"

"That's where you're wrong Ed, girl's think they're pretty in them! In fact, I think Elysia will look so cute in those, can't you imagine it?..." Hughes went on another ramble about how cute his daughter is. Then he noticed something more about Ed, "What happened to your arm, Ed? No wonder I thought something's wrong about you."

Ed stiffened and he tried to lie, "Something was wrong with it. I felt kind of weird with it and it was very uncomfortable so I took it off. And then I tried to put it back myself but it won't stay there, so I got mad and tossed it away. Then I lost it."

Hughes looked like he didn't believe it, "oh, sure. So I assume you're going back to Resembool to fix your arm, right?"

"Ye--yes!" Ed said, hoping Hughes wasn't feeling suspicious about anything.

"Okay... have a nice trip" Hughes raised an eyebrow and continued walking, "by the way, Ed, next time think of another way to get lazy, it's dangerous to have only one arm."

"Oh..." Ed forced a smile, relieved that Hughes is as smart as he could get.

"Brother, why did you lie about your arm?" Al asked.

"If that bastard Colonel Mustang get to know this, he's gonna be lecturing about it for who knows how many days and I can't get away from it..." Ed scoffed, "let's go catch the train going to Resembool!"

----------------------------------

"You _lost_ your arm?" Winry yelled, she couldn't believe how stupid the guy in front of her is.

"Chill, Winry..." Ed's sweat dropped, "just fix it for me, I'm in a hurry."

"Oh yeah, just come here and tell me to fix things. All the reason you come home now is only for me to fix your arm?" Winry got really angry. Ed frowned, "things aren't simple as it seems, Winry. And also, I need you to look at something for me."

"What?" Winry rolled her eyes.

"This." Ed took out the necklace and Winry's eyes suddenly sparkled.

"Oh! It's a beautiful necklace!" Winry screeched as if she didn't have an argument with Ed a while ago, "is it for me?"

"No." Ed said, Winry's face turned down, "I want you to open each of these stones and study it. After that I want you to write me a letter about everything you know about these stones."

"Stones?" Winry examined the necklace and cracked one open in the middle with her wrench, and she gasped, "Oh my gosh! It has such an interesting pattern! But I wonder how they cal work together, they don't match really well at all, but something in there is making it so perfect and strange!"

"Enough!" Ed stopped her, "You can study it later, but fix my arm first!"

"Alright, alright..." Winry said not moving her gaze from the stone.

"...Che! Machine freak..."

---------------------------------------

"Fullmetal lost his automail arm?" Mustang looked up from his paperwork, interested by this news.

"Yeah." Hughes said, "he said he lost it wen he took it off, but I doubt it."

Mustang smirked, "I'll go ask him personally."

"Roy, take it seriously," Hughes frowned, "it's dangerous for him to go around without one arm, with Scar on the loose and stuff. Besides, he's not gonna tell you the truth."

"It's better than spying off him." the colonel shrugged, "that doesn't work for Fullmetal."

"... I guess you're right."

"Let's just wait for him to come back now..."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist, I only own Esme and her inventions.

As a Shadow

chapter 3

Five days later, Ed and Al returned to Central city. This day, Ed, Al, Mustang, and Hughes were walking along the street. Mustang was planning to catch an opportunity to ask Ed about his arm, how he lost it and things like that.

"Ha! I can finally get out of that office and get some fresh air! It's always the same kind of paperwork, same phone calls, it's so boring in there!" Mustang stretched himself out as he walked.

"It's what you have to do, colonel is not a easy job!" Hughes said

"But doing it day and night will bore me to death." Mustang pouted.

"Really? I thought all you do is daze off and daydream about girls in miniskirts." Ed said.

"Brother, that's like you when you're supposed to be training." Al said, he was walking between Ed and the colonel.

Mustang dropped his face when he heard this," see, don't tell people to do things you can't even do yourself!"

"Mine is called 'meditation'," Ed said, "besides, it's not me that's the colonel! I say, you better start acting like one soon, or else people will stop following you."

"Hey, Hey, guys, stop arguing! It's a nice day and just relax today, okay?" Al said, then turned to whisper to Ed, "Brother, what about that Esme? It's five days already, and the things she did was very suspicious."

"I already told Winry to look at the necklace... I hope she writes as soon as possible."

"OH! THAT'S SO CUUUUTE!" a girl's screeching voice came from a crowding corner on the street, drawing their attention.

"You bought _another_ one? You're unbelievible!" another guy's voice sounded disbelief.

"Come, come, come! All the different designs for yours to choose! Plus, we have a special discount today that..."

"This voice!" Ed's eyes opened wide.

"Brother! It's Esme!" Al couldn't believe the world is so small.

Ed took a look at what she's selling. Seems like she didn't take out any one of those strange inventions of hers that will harm people. She only had out ordinary jewelries, and that's what drew so many girl's attention.

Esme gave change to her customer, "Thank you, come again!"

"Brother..."

"Al, listen..." Ed whispered a bunch of stuff into Al's ear.

"Understood, Brother!" Al quickly ran away.

Ed then turned to Hughes and Mustang, "Ahem! I know you guys won't believe that I lost my automail, so I've decided to tell you guys the truth! And what I'm about to say is all true! Isn't that what you are after today, colonel?... colonel?" Ed looked around and Mustang wasn't there.

Mustang was in front of Esme's little stand and staring at Esme with perverted eyes, "Hey, beautiful, wanna go get coffee with me?" "He's fast..." Ed and Hughes thought at the same time.

Esme smiled in some way sexily, "Sure! How much are you gonna give me?"

"Oh my gosh! That girl is selling _herself_ for money now!" Ed shook his head.

"Brother, I'm back!" Al emerged from the crowd, this time with Riza Hawkeye and a bunch of soldiers following.

"Make way, make way!" the soldiers pushed away the customers.

"Hey! Why are you pushing away my customers!" Esme stood up angrily, yelling at the soldiers. "You think you can do that just because you're a soldier?"

"Haha!" Ed chuckled a couple of times and stood in front, "I can't believe you didn't get to know more about this city and just came here and started business!"

"Huh?" Esme raised an eyebrow.

"It's like this, Miss Esme," Hawkeye explained, "you've broken some of our rules around here. Central city has an order of stores on the streets, you can't put up stands without giving the department a notice. And you were also told on the behalf of being a prostitute, which there were many witnesses that can prove it from your conversation with Roy Mustang. And there are also a few other small things like selling without a license, business without tax, and also robbery... these things allows us to capture you and send you to jail. So..."

Ed shouted, "Soldiers! Take her down!"

"Hey----! Wait-----!" unable to say anything, two soldiers took Esme by her arms.

"Ed..."

"Lt. Hawkeye?" Ed asked.

"You stole my line..."

"Oh, sorry. I was overreacting."

"Brother, you're revenging your personal problems using your title..." Al said.

"Objection! You're not considering my citizen's rights!" Esme yelled.

"There are no objections!" Ed walked toward the stand, took Esme's yellow flag, "Hahaha! Take her flag off! Hmph! What 'Handy Handy Tools'? It's all a lie! How about I just rip this into pieces!" (Ed going crazy)

"Stooooooop! How can you do this to me!"

"You have the rights to remain silent, Miss Esme. But all you say right now can be useful evidence, so you better watch your mouth!"

"You're insane!"

"Ah! Insulting a military man! Add one more crime to her!"

"#&+..."

"I bet Fullmetal got 'ripped off' by this girl before." Mustang stated.

"Yeah, and Ed's been holding it in for a long time..." Hughes thought the same.

"Brother..." Al cried silent tears.

Mustang suddenly realized something, so he started creeping away from the crowd.

"Wait!" Hawkeye grabbed his collar, "You were commiting a crime along with the criminal."

"No---------!" Mustang was pulled away by the soldiers with Esme. His screams echoed in the city.

TBC r&r please :)


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